Sunday, May 6, 2012

Buried Thunder Book Review

Annotation:
After
her family purchases and moves into an old inn called the Rowan Tree,
fourteen-year-old Maya Munro is stalked by a strange fox that leads her into
the woods where she discovers the bodies of three deceased residents of the
nearby village. When Maya returns to the woods with the police, the bodies are
gone, and Maya realizes that what she glimpsed may have been a warning of what’s
to come.

Personal
thoughts: This was one of those novels that, for personal reasons, really
gave me some serious chills. The whole idea of the woods and the dead bodies
was exceptionally creepy to me, having grown up next to a very large forest,
and I had a sense of dread throughout the novel. I have to commend Tim Bowler
on his ability to create something suspenseful and spooky that let most of the
scares be up to the imagination. The entire novel was very well-written, and I
enjoyed the setting as well. The ending was a little strange for me, but when
it’s all said and done I thought it was a good book. I will definitely look for
more of Tim Bowler’s works in the future.

Plot
summary: Fourteen-year-old Maya Munro and her brother Tom have just moved
with their parents to the Rowan Tree, an old inn and restaurant in a small
English village. Determined to turn the inn into a thriving business, Maya’s
parents quickly work to establish themselves while Maya and Tom get to know the
area. Several days after their arrival, however, Maya begins to notice a
strange presence in and around the Rowan Tree. A pair of glowing yellow eyes
belonging to a mysterious fox appear wherever she goes, and, one night, lead her
into the woods where she discovers the lifeless bodies of three village
residents. Maya alerts the police and quickly leads them back to the clearing
where she found the bodies, only to find that they have disappeared. To make
matters worse, two of the people she saw lying dead in the woods are still very
much alive, and now the close-knit village believes that Maya is delusional and
seeking attention. Although Maya is relieved that no one has died, she begins
to worry if her vision may have been a warning of what’s to come. Strange
scratching sounds emanate from the walls of her room in the Rowan Tree, foxes
keep turning up mutilated in the village, and headless effigies are being
carved in the trunks of trees in the woods. Who or what is responsible for what’s
going on, and is there anything Maya can do before someone is actually
murdered?

Review: British
author Tim Bowler, winner of the Carnegie Medal for his book River Boy, presents a spooky,
atmospheric story in his latest novel, Buried
Thunder. The mystery begins from the very first sentence, setting the stage
for what is a vigorously paced and chilling tale that will appeal to a variety
of readers. Since the novel is somewhat short and very succinct in its plot,
reluctant readers or those who don’t want to get into something too lengthy
will find a lot to enjoy in Buried
Thunder. The story will also appeal to male readers who aren’t interested
in something with a lot of romance (there is a very brief, somewhat unimportant
flirtation in the novel that lasts less than a page). The book will also appeal
to those who are interested in mysteries and hauntings, as well as
premonitions. That being said, however, Buried
Thunder is far from a perfect read. While the first 90% of the novel is
really well written and suspenseful, the ending does seem to wrap up at warp
speed, leaving a little bit to be desired in explaining what exactly was going
on in the book. This may have been the author’s intention, wanting to leave
some of it up to the imagination, but for readers who want everything
thoroughly explained, it’s far from ideal. Despite this shortcoming, Buried Thunder is a quiet but spooky
read with some genuinely creepy moments. Tim Bowler’s skill as a young adult
author is evident throughout, and readers will likely seek out some of his
other works after reading this book.

Genre: Fiction/Horror

Reading
level: Grade 7+

Similar
titles: The Poisoned
House by Michael Ford, Tighter by
Adele Griffin, The Nightmarys by Dan
Poblocki, The Near Witch by Victoria
Schwab.

Themes: Murder, premonitions, hauntings, foxes,
England.

Awards/Reviews:
Written by award-winning author.

Series
Information: N/A

Discussion
questions:

-What do you think was going on with Maya and
the fox? How would you explain her premonitions?

-
Do you think Zep is a protagonist or
antagonist? Why? What about Bonny or Mo?

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Welcome to my blog! I'm a librarian who loves to read...unusual, right? This blog contains my reviews and thoughts about the books I read, and other information for tweens, teens, parents, teachers, librarians and anyone else who loves books. Enjoy!